tony pasley
New member
going thru a course of targets and it started raining everyone but 1 left how many others don't shoot in sunny weather
all weather shooters
- Thread starter tony pasley
- Start date
I've fired a lot more rounds "in anger, with the intent to kill",
in the rain, and in the dark, than I ever did in bright sunlight.
In my opinion, anyone training for self-defense shooting would
do well to train in any and every adverse condition they can find.
But that's just my opinion.
Walter
in the rain, and in the dark, than I ever did in bright sunlight.
In my opinion, anyone training for self-defense shooting would
do well to train in any and every adverse condition they can find.
But that's just my opinion.
Walter
Working security, my schedule is pretty abnormal, so when I have a set date/time to practice, that is when I practice. So, I have practiced while it was raining, windy and cold (not all at the same time, though).
As Walter said, for those that practice for self defense, it only makes sense to practice in very poor conditions. Otherwise, you may not know how adverse conditions may affect your shooting.
As Walter said, for those that practice for self defense, it only makes sense to practice in very poor conditions. Otherwise, you may not know how adverse conditions may affect your shooting.
I've done several extra-curricular activities which have required that I spend the whole day out in the rain. (College-level marching band, hiking, sailing, lifeguarding, etc...) So, now I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to staying outside in the pouring rain. Rain just doesn't bother me.
I went to my first IDPA event last April. Around 9 am it started pouring the rain. I mean, difficult to see the silouettes at 15 yards. Everybody started scrambling for umbrellas and rain coats, and I just stood there screaming, "C'mon guys! We're all born wet! A little water won't kill ya'!" People thought I was really weird...
I went to my first IDPA event last April. Around 9 am it started pouring the rain. I mean, difficult to see the silouettes at 15 yards. Everybody started scrambling for umbrellas and rain coats, and I just stood there screaming, "C'mon guys! We're all born wet! A little water won't kill ya'!" People thought I was really weird...
Shooting in Foul Weather
I was a State Police Firearms instructor for quite some time and my policy was that we always continued to shoot as long as it was not so windy that the targets wouldn't remain in their frames. It never got too hot, too cold or too wet. The only weather I ever halted the range for was for nearby lightening.
When the troops complained, I usually told them, " I have to be here all day (or night, as the case may be) and can't really feel too sorry for you when you only have to be here for an hour or so", adding, "that's why we call it COMBAT shooting"!
I was a State Police Firearms instructor for quite some time and my policy was that we always continued to shoot as long as it was not so windy that the targets wouldn't remain in their frames. It never got too hot, too cold or too wet. The only weather I ever halted the range for was for nearby lightening.
When the troops complained, I usually told them, " I have to be here all day (or night, as the case may be) and can't really feel too sorry for you when you only have to be here for an hour or so", adding, "that's why we call it COMBAT shooting"!
There is no such thing as sunny weather out here in Aleutian Hell. We have plenty of rain, wind, snow, wind, fog, wind, overcast, wind, wind, wind and wind. We also have winds out here that they would give cute little names to down south.
We use steel target rather than paper, but there is the risk of them rusting away before the session is over.
Blackwater OPS
New member
I have shot matches is foul weather, it did not bother me a thus I found it to be to my advantage. When training to fight, you train as you fight.
Capt. Charlie
Moderator Emeritus
Eeeeeeeeeeyow Al!!! Geeze, I remember one of my first qualifications under a hard core rangemaster. It was 10 degrees with a windchill of -12!! Between shots, you had to keep your hands (with gun
) between your legs or you couldn't pull the trigger. Some lost feeling in their hands and dropped their guns! Absolutely miserable! Brrr-r-r!Nosiree. When I shoot, the birds gotta be singing, the grass gotta be green, & the breezes gotta be balmy
.We don't get any rain but we do get 70mph plus winds, dust storms and heat and cold (I live in northern AZ) down to about 5 below without the 70 mph windchill.
I shoot in it all including in the dark. For those that have never seen their weapon's muzzle blast at night it is something that you may not expect. I totally did away with one carry ammo because of the nighttime muzzle blast.
I shoot in it all including in the dark. For those that have never seen their weapon's muzzle blast at night it is something that you may not expect. I totally did away with one carry ammo because of the nighttime muzzle blast.
Wyo Cowboy
New member
Kinda like the postman... Neither rain, nor snow, nor gloom of night... nor high winds, low tempature (well, I do draw the line when the temp goes negative!), fog, etc.
tony pasley
New member
i didn't think i was i was going sane and one of a very few who shot reguardless of what ma nature threw at me. shooting in the snow is fun except after 10 to 20 rounds the snow meltedfor about 3 feet
Capt. Charlie
Moderator Emeritus
Hey, the first thing I learned from my FTO when I was a rookie was... "A good police officer never gets tired, cold, hungry or lonely"
.Charlie, I said snow, not a danged blasted blizzard! 'Sides, ya couldna see the target in one 'o those!
Wyo Cowboy, OK. I admit it. When the real temp drops below zero, I pack it in...rather, I don't pack it out of the house. That's when I'm in the shed, reloading! (remembering that the wind is just picking up speed in Idaho on its way to Wyoming!)
Wyo Cowboy, OK. I admit it. When the real temp drops below zero, I pack it in...rather, I don't pack it out of the house. That's when I'm in the shed, reloading! (remembering that the wind is just picking up speed in Idaho on its way to Wyoming!)
Limeyfellow
New member
Shooting in snow can be really nice to do, as long as you got a pair of gloves and luckly here it doesn't get super cold like it does further up north in the US. I done a little shooting in the rain, quite a bit at night, but really if you are training as a self defense/home defense or such roles training in all weathers seems to be the point, since if you didn't the first time you need to for real it be freezing rain, 70mph winds and raining frogs as the rivers turn to blood.
When target shooting for accuracy and competitions I tend to perfer it to be a little nicer though. My perfect temperature tends to be in the 60-70 degrees F range.
When target shooting for accuracy and competitions I tend to perfer it to be a little nicer though. My perfect temperature tends to be in the 60-70 degrees F range.
AirForceShooter
New member
I was at a public range here in florida and it started raining and I mean pouring.
The RO asked if we wanted to quit until the rain stopped. Not a single person (rifle, pistol, shotgun) wanted to quit. It was great. You could tell who the combat veterans were.
As happens in Fla. rain stopped in 15 minutes.
AFS
The RO asked if we wanted to quit until the rain stopped. Not a single person (rifle, pistol, shotgun) wanted to quit. It was great. You could tell who the combat veterans were.
As happens in Fla. rain stopped in 15 minutes.
AFS
I was up for my turn in a combat match back in the late 80's (before IDPA) when the bottom dropped out. My RO asked if I wanted to wait or run it. I said to run it, because I wouldn't be able to pick my weather in a real fight. He said "Good for you" as everyone else ran for the clubhouse.
I'd like to say I cleaned the course. I didn't, but I learned a lot about my own capabilities and where I needed work.
I'd like to say I cleaned the course. I didn't, but I learned a lot about my own capabilities and where I needed work.
guntotin_fool
New member
Living in minnesota, half of hunting season is rain or snow. from the middle of sept till dec 31, you can dress for the cold and wet, but you can make the calendar stand still. My biggest buck Ever came on a day when it was so cold my can of pop froze INSIDE my jacket. I had just decided to say the heck with it when my brother stepped off his stand and spooked this monster from under a spruce tree. He had his rifle slung and mittens on, I got the deer.
Best day EVER hunting was goose and duck in the era of generous bag limits. They just kept dropping out of the freezing rain and sleet into the dekes. Something like 4 snows and a canadian plus 6 or seven ducks, what ever a full limit was.
If we are just going shooting and it looks bad, we bring things that do not mind getting wet. The fancy guns only come out in the nice weather.
Best day EVER hunting was goose and duck in the era of generous bag limits. They just kept dropping out of the freezing rain and sleet into the dekes. Something like 4 snows and a canadian plus 6 or seven ducks, what ever a full limit was.
If we are just going shooting and it looks bad, we bring things that do not mind getting wet. The fancy guns only come out in the nice weather.